Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel Wins Prestigious Industry Award
31 May 2024
The Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel has received a prestigious Conference & Events Award, making it the only meetings hotel in Manchester to earn this accolade this year. This recognition underscores Mercure’s emergence as a key player in Manchester’s growing events scene, as the city moves towards becoming one of Europe’s top event destinations.
The four-star hotel was honoured in the Best Venue Customer Service category, underscoring its commitment to exceptional service and guest satisfaction.
Last year, Mercure Manchester Piccadilly embarked on a £3 million refurbishment, significantly enhancing the guest experience while implementing a comprehensive strategy focused on product, people, and practices.
Key to this transformation was a significant investment in the hotel staff. Innovative reward schemes and specialised training programmes were introduced to ensure high-level, personalised service. These efforts were rewarded with the esteemed Aimbridge Hospitality award for the most improved Accor hotel in EMEA for an impressive 12.7% increase in performance and guest reputation. This was coupled with a phenomenal drop in staff turnover to just 7%, a stark contrast to the industry norm of 70-80% annually.
Exemplary service standards have resulted in a 500% year-on-year increase in positive Google Reviews and an upgrade to ‘Preferred Status’ on Booking.com. Additionally, the hotel boasts a 19-minute average response rate to inquiries, ranking among the top in Venue Directory’s listings. VenueVerdict scores consistently hitting 9/10 signal the hotel’s ambitious goal to achieve gold status within the year.
The judges commended the hotel’s internal focus, particularly its innovative staff upskilling and retention programmes, and its commitment to customer service and event excellence.
Looking ahead, the hotel is set to further enhance its meeting and events offerings with the opening of the new Garden View Room in September. This modern space will feature an inspiring “garden wall” and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views over the historic Piccadilly Gardens, providing an ideal setting for events with plenty of natural daylight.
This Conference & Events Award supports the hotel’s ongoing revitalisation, positioning it as a prime destination for meetings, events, and business travellers in the vibrant heart of Manchester.
The Conference & Events Awards, which took place on 5 July at City Central at the HAC, London, recognise excellence and exceptional achievement by conference companies, event agencies, and venues.
